Life Seeing

My first week in Japan was more about life-seeing rather than sight-seeing. I have been catching up with my friends who have lived here for close to two years. I wanted to see their life here. I wanted to see their home, their neighborhood, their school, and their favorite things to do in the area. 

They live in a lovely area south of Tokyo near the beach, in fact their home is just a short stroll from a beach where on a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji! While this area is popular for Japanese, particularly in the summer, and particularly for the retirees, Zushi is not otherwise known as a popular travel destination, so the quiet highlights of this area are not to be found on popular travel blogs. And to me, that’s what has made them perfect!

Much of our time together was just me getting to do life alongside my friends, and getting to see their favorite places nearby. I went to Eleanor’s swim practice, listened to Max’s saxophone practice, ate dinner alongside my friends, visited Sam and Eleanor’s school on their last days of the year, played spoons, went on base, baked cookies together, learned the trains they use easily, saw Rob’s office, and repeatedly walked to the magical 7/11. It was perfectly ordinary and exactly what I wanted it to be. When I talk to them, and hear about what they’ve been up to or where they have been, I can picture it now! 

While with them, they took me to several of their favorite spots, the first one being: Sea Paradise. It’s an aquarium with a bit of a theme park. They have annual passes, so the kids feel comfortable roaming about on their own. We watched a performance where dolphins rocketed out of the air, penguins waddled across the stage, beluga whales lifted their trainers out of the water, and an enormous walrus performed tricks. Watching the giant blob roll down the ramp and then do “sit-ups” was a highlight. The aquarium had an outdoor area with otters, red panda, and even some capybaras. Sam and I got to go behind the scenes and feed the capybara some lettuce. His large snout and buck teeth up close were really only the face a mother could love, and yet, his confidence brimmed over!

They also took me to the mall next to base for an outing. When they had first arrived, and it was just right next door, it was a reprieve for them. I could see why! Max and I went to the cat cafe and had a delightful time. The cats were all fancy breeds and incredibly well cared for. They accepted pets and toys, and eagerly pounced on treats. I don’t allow myself to visit the cat cafe at home because I don’t want to walk out with another cat, but here, this is their permanent home (and, you know, an ocean of difficult travel away). 

The food court at the mall and even at Sea Paradise put ours to shame! Not that this surprises me at all, as the food was one of the things I was most excited to experience here. But, for under $10, I got delicious, quality meals in a food court. There was the curry with fried pork, gyuza (Japanese dumplings), and butter chicken with cheesy na’an bread.

Speaking of food, we also enjoyed several divine meals out. The whole family went to a restaurant where I enjoyed a beef curry. Before I arrived, I didn’t realize the Japanese had their own curry. It’s thicker and more of a roux. While it isn’t as spicy as Indian curry, it has plenty of flavor! 

One night, Rob, Samantha, and I went out to eat lasagna. As Rob says, the Japanese do everything better. He has suggested to make sure not just to eat Japanese food here, but all sorts of food since they do everything well. While the lasagna was the best I believe I’ve ever eaten, what fascinated me more was the restaurant itself. It was a bar with seven stools. That was it. The chef behind the counter did everything. While his menu wasn’t extensive, it was a full page. He had multiple types of lasagna prepared in individual baking dishes, then, once your order was placed, he added the unique sauce/topping that you requested. We were not rushed out, in fact, our three stools were probably half of his business for the night. It was remarkable. 

I also got to experience a tsunami while I was with them. Don’t worry, this is not an “I Survived” story. Soon after the kids had left one morning and the three of us were getting ready to go out for the day, a siren went off, similar to our tornado sirens. It was loud and an announcement was made at the end, but of course, we couldn’t understand it. Samantha quickly checked her weather app. Yes, a huge earthquake in the Philippines had triggered tsunami warnings. However, the 1 meter high wave wasn’t schedule to hit for several hours, and fortunately the 1 meter surge just looked like a large wave. Samantha had only experienced one other tsunami warning since living in Japan. With that one, she said the siren didn’t stop going off, and they did all pack up and go to base. While there was some flooding, it was not too severe.

While obviously catching up with my friends was at the top of my list, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that getting to see their pets was also high on my list! I loved getting to meet Violet, the energetic little puff ball who joined their family last fall. Gnocchi, the gentle giant “potato” of a golden retriever who joined their family while in Sicily is always a joy. And then there’s my love affair with Fitzwilliam Darcy, the cat who showed up at my parents’ door and was eagerly welcomed into the Echols’ home, where he then traveled to Virginia, on to Sicily, and now enjoys the heated floors on chilly Japanese days. He seems to always remember our connection and is thankful that I helped him find such a loving home. I’m thankful that he seemed to remember me, or if nothing else, allowed me to feel that way. If I was sitting, he was in my lap. He even gave me the honor of sleeping with me a couple of nights! 

Jessica arrived in time to get to know the Echols before we go off on our own. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to introduce dear friends from different parts of the country!

One day, when they had important appointments, Jessica and I took the train to Kamakura. It is definitely more of a touristy town, giving us our first real experience with crowds. It was such a fun city to visit, though! We went to see the giant Buddha, 24 meters tall, and nearing his 800th birthday. While I always marvel at the engineering skills of builders from centuries ago, a highlight for me was watching the multitude of school children parading around him in their matching hats to ensure they don’t get separated from the group.

After visiting Buddha, we wandered down the famous shopping street with gorgeous chopsticks, unique and tasty bites, and all sorts of tiny treasures, many of which had cats on them! My favorite treat was the candied frozen strawberries (after we figured out how to eat them!). I was also thankful for this opportunity to try the trains on my own without being too far from Samantha’s incredibly helpful guidance!

On Friday, the four girls took a day trip to  Enoshima. It was a magical little island, and our weather for this outing was perfect! We took the famous train line about 25 minutes away that hugs the coast line and gives lovely views of the Pacific.

The island is full of folklore of an evil dragon that was tamed by a heavenly maiden. He fell in love with her, but she vowed only to return his love if he instead used his strength and power to help the people of the area rather than terrorize them. With this folklore, there are shrines all over the island, a bell where lovers can pledge their everlasting love, and old sea caves you can explore. Inside the sea caves, you’ll even find a mystical dragon that roars when you clap. On top of the island, there was a beautiful garden with grand views, and all of the narrow streets were tucked in with stairs on many of them. 

Remember how my goal is try all the food? Well, for breakfast, we ate a curry ball, which was curried beef and cheese in a fried dough ball. We ate tiny pizzas made in a wood-fired oven before us. There was the blue denim ice cream we tried that reminded us suspiciously of bubble gum ice cream. (Anybody been licking their jeans lately? Is this what I’m missing out on?) Of our food journey for the day, I think I would say my favorite was the sweet potato ice cream which was almost like a tiny taste of my favorite Thanksgiving side dish!

Our time with the Echols was such a joy! I am so thankful that they would host us, show us around, and welcome us into their lives! Our Japanese journey is just beginning, but Zushi, with my dear friends was a beautiful way to start this trip!